Chad Brown

At Uncapped Games I'm helping to develop my favorite game I've ever worked on professionally by far... and surprisingly it's an RTS. This is surprising because I (unlike nearly the whole team who are RTS powerhouses), have basically no RTS experience at all. Fire up Super Smash Bros and I may have a shot to impress, but RTS has been a huge - and fun - mental shift for me! ...and somehow, I've gotten pretty good! (At our game at least 😅). Very excitingly, we're on the schedule to say more about our game at SGF ( https://lnkd.in/e5uDTwZp ) in June, but now, kicking things off so to speak, we've put out a really cool documentary that explains some of our philosophies, hopes, and goals. If you're an RTS nerd - or just curious to learn more, check it out: https://lnkd.in/eQpxP3WZ

16

Another stack of resources and layoff support compiled by the incredible Mayank Grover! If you need support or have some to offer, connect and boost that vis so every ship can benefit from the tide. 🙌🌊🙌 #gamedev #games #layoff #support #job #resources #mentors

7

Hello friends. Last month, I was looking for more work and finally secured some on Reddit from a guy who needed help with preproduction on his Tabletop RPG / Card Battler. After a meeting with him, he showed me what he had and it was quite impressive. He had a prototype of a card-battler using a tabletop RPG battle system, but he had little to no documentation or planning—he's been chiseling away at his game for a few months in his spare time after work. I suggested that before I dive into art, we flesh out the game design and the rest of the game up to around an 80% mark and let the last 20% be changes, additions, and that sort. As your game evolves, it'll come into it's own and you'll find things that need changed or added, this accounts for that. He agreed and I asked if I could work on all this since I did that with my game Alligori and lead the team from start to finish with our vertical slice, and I know tabletop RPGs very well. He agreed and we did the whole song and dance with paperwork, and he sent over a retainer and I began work the following Monday. Three weeks go by and we're working great together. I'm fleshing out his game, adding some meat to the backbone of his prototype with classes, abilities, etc. My goal was to write out as much as possible and then trim content to fit it into a 1-year development cycle. So I flesh a bulk of his game out, and then categorize it more into a game design document that clearly conveys concepts, ideas, and mechanics. Catching up, last week was the final week of my first month and payment was due. He just up and disappears like a fart in the wind, I have no idea if he's alive, incarcerated, on vacation, or what. He didn't remove me on Discord, so I don't entirely suspect malicious intent, but he gave no notice. That's the risk you run with working 1-on-1 with a client remotely, one day they can just up and disappear. I do have paperwork, so I may pursue legal action. If he doesn't log on by Friday, I'm going to publicly release all my documentation and the GDD I wrote on here.

46

33 Comments

How to accelerate your career in game development? Think "one level higher." 🔹 If you're a junior or mid-level:  -- Consider how your task affects the team's work. 🔹 If you're a lead or senior:  -- Focus on how your team's work impacts the entire project. 🔹 If you're a producer, director, or PM:  -- Think about how your project fits into the company's strategy. 🔹 If you're a CEO or executive:  -- Ensure the company's results align with stakeholder interests. 🔹 If you're a stakeholder:  -- Align your assets with market interests. Always try to understand the bigger picture.

102

9 Comments

Bit late talking about this one but huge news coming from 343 Industries, both a re-brand to Halo Studios and confirmation that they are switching development to Unreal. 🗞️ This comes off the back of 343's struggles with development of Halo: Infinite. We've seen many other studios move away from their own engines to Unreal, notably CD Projekt Red! Are proprietary engines going out fashion? 🤔 For those who have worked on both proprietary engines and Unreal, what have you found to be the key advantages of working with Unreal? #gamedev #unreal #halo

11

The Art of Appointment Mechanics in Gaming 🎮⏰ Lately, I’ve noticed a trend: fewer games are intentionally using appointment mechanics, opting instead assuming that more familiar timer mechanics like limited events or daily login calendars will do the trick to keep players engaged. Have we lost the elegant art of getting our players to think about our games even when they’re not playing? 🤔 What are Appointment Mechanics? Essentially, these are game systems (often tied to timers) that encourage players to return after specific intervals. They act as habit-forming tools, integrating games into players' daily routines. Different audiences respond to different timing gaps, making it a nuanced art. 🎯 While many associate appointment mechanics with simple push notifications that nudge players to get back into the action, this is just one small part of what well thought-out appointment mechanics can do for your game. The real impact comes when these basic mechanics are paired with CONTEXT and GOAL-SETTING. 🌟 ✨ Imagine getting a player to not only return to your game when you send them a reminder, but to have them constantly thinking about what they will do next in your game when they do come back, whether that be: reaching new milestones, unlocking specific rewards, or just anticipation for another exciting session. A Few Personal Favourites: Clash Royale: The dynamic chest-cooking mechanics were revolutionary when this game launched. Players found themselves strategically planning their day around min/maxing these chests, even coordinating it with lunch breaks (or bathroom breaks) to ensure there was always a chest in the process of opening! 📦🕒 Shop Titans: Truly a master class in appointment mechanics. The game’s foundation lies in utilising these mechanics to fulfil the fantasy of owning a shop in an RPG. Players are constantly plotting their next craft and excitedly returning to collect completed gear. The game even ramps players up to longer breaks between sessions, initially getting players to return every minute or less. This is a great way to form a habit! ⚔️🏗️ Are appointment mechanics still on your radar when designing game experiences? How do you incorporate them effectively? I'd love to hear your thoughts and any examples you might have! 💬 #GameDesign #PlayerEngagement #Gaming #MobileGames #VideoGames #GameDevelopment #PlayerMotivation #GameMechanics #Innovation #HabitForming #TimelyReminders #GamingCommunity #GameTrends

9

6 Comments

Laws of game Dev (Proposed) #1: Meetings start late = Games ship late - Teams that have the skills, focus and discipline required to ship games on time do not seem to be the same ones waiting for meetings to reach "critical mass" or someone to finish their "worst weekend ever" story. - Correlation only, but it has been very consistent red flag over the last 27 years. - Open for comment before it gets written into the book.

17

3 Comments

Truly sad news: as reported by many outlets this morning, Take-Two Interactive is closing Kerbal Space Program 2 developer Intercept Games as part of a plan announced earlier this month aimed at reducing the publisher's total workforce by 5%. Roll7, the developer of the OlliOlli games and Rollerdrome, is also being closed according to the report. To those affected by this closure, please find a comprehensive list of resources, below: 🥇First, Discipline Games Jobs Resources: Over the past weeks I have created nine Games Jobs Resources to find jobs in a wide range of disciplines: 🎨 Art, Animation, VFX and UI: This resource contains around 1,000 jobs worldwide across all links. Link: https://lnkd.in/eu2bjadW ⚙ Engineering and Programming This resource lists just over 1,800 jobs worldwide across all links. It also talks about interview tips and questions to practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/eYdxANFM 🕹 Quality Assurance: This resource lists over 450 QA jobs worldwide. This post also talks about the craft of QA and contains tips and interview practice. Link: https://lnkd.in/dwwVjZuc 📑 Game Production: This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. It also contains info about game production as a whole and GDC talks. Link: https://lnkd.in/gxDvFM-Z 📢 Marketing & Community: This resource lists around 400 jobs worldwide. It also gives an intro into game marketing and community management. Link: https://lnkd.in/e5MuViug 🎶 Audio and Sound Design: This resource lists around 190 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/eSkPSsWf 📠 Studio Support, HR, Recruitment and BizDev: This resource lists around 290 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/ePG57_7v ⚙ IT, Helpdesk and DevOps: This resource lists around 140 jobs worldwide. Link: https://lnkd.in/e8ZsuiZh 🎮 Game Design: This resource lists around 520 jobs worldwide: Link: https://lnkd.in/dtVmGR-t 🥈 Second, the Ultimate list of Video Games Career Resources: This should be your one-stop shop for all information. My dear friend Amir Satvat maintains these documents, he is a legend for doing this - please check them out: https://amirsatvat.com/ 🥉 Third, If you have worked in publishing, please message me. I am looking for quite a few roles right now! ⬅ 🎖 Finally, do not give up. Ever. No matter how dark things may look right now, I KNOW you will get through this, you have got this! 👊 Remember you are not alone. If you need help, advice, or even an ear to listen, we're here for you. Always! ➡ A request to my community, please can I ask you to repost this post to your colleagues and friends, so that we can get as many into jobs as possible! And please comment if you or your studio are currently hiring - let's help each other! Much love ❤️ #layoffs #gamesindustry #jobsingames #roll7 #interceptgames

136

3 Comments

Laws of game Dev (Proposed) #6: Do your own ports In this day there is significantly less reason for any teams to not be doing their own console ports. Once upon a time porting meant: - Acquiring rare and very expensive console dev kits and their even more expensive and rare profiling hardware version. - Rewriting large chunks of your engine in custom assembly after learning a brand new CPU's instruction set. - Learning completely new pipeline of custom compilers, converters, packaging, burners, OS's, quite often it involved building entirely new workflow per console. - Writing a completely new rendering path for a custom (read 10 years behind) and under performing graphics chips with limited memory. - Doing instruction pipelining in your head because compilers were 1 offs and had the optimization abilities of the DMV, or CPU didn't even have L2 cache. - Trying to transfer your audio engine over to the least expensive chip they recycled from returned Sony camcorders. - Packing and compressing all your data into a single 1GB continuous files so entire game could be read off a DVD with only 3 seeks. - Testing against 100's of unique TCR's and packaging your submission just right to not get a tech Failure. These were the days when the port team was 1/3 - 1/2 the size of the original team and it was were you sent the hardcore or the people you were trying to managing out. Crunching full sized PC games down to something that would even fit and run well on consoles was not exciting or glamorous. It was just waking up every day and eating glass until all the bugs had been filed on the new SDK, the code was a sea of #ifdef's and you stripped enough out that the game is no longer effectively a slide show. Today things are very different:   - All consoles are supported by Linux or Windows.   - The CPU / GPU is almost all AMD.   - The memory delta is no longer 20x but now 2x.   - Middleware is a thing on consoles.   - Most commercial engines natively support all platforms, their workflows, submissions and TCR's. Thus the majority that is left for the developers now is:   - Select new platform in project type.   - Make the games' input system still feel intuitive on controllers.   - Pick a bunch of LOD and detail setting until game runs at desired FPS.   - Hack on the UI until it fits inside TV safe zones & still looks good.   - Maybe add in support HDR. It is no longer entire teams but often just a few people can now kick out the console versions if the game is designed with porting in mind.   And there is the crux of the issue, if the team making the game has never done the ports, they will not understand the impact their decisions are making on it. These teams often do create hack projects that are significantly harder to port than they should be. Thus unless your working on a custom engine that has never been ported to the platform, train your team up and have them do their own console ports.

11

1 Comment

Tip for publishing consideration submission to Midwest Games... tldr - Send info through our portal (https://lnkd.in/gWtKgpuU), not through email (or LI). I get that it's a little counter-intuitive...you might think you want to put your info right in front of the sourcing decision influencers' faces. But it's actually a disadvantage - especially those of you who are agents throwing multiple titles at us at once. The submission portal goes right to our database, and that database is there for a reason: to keep an organized and consistent record of all submissions in one place. I look through there all the time. I'm reminded of titles I may have overlooked or need to go back to consider as circumstances change all the time. We rarely, if ever, make immediate decisions or even quick deep review/consideration. Our factors for consideration shift regularly. I do not review your particular email regularly, or at some point even remember you sent one. I go to the database. Connection via other channels is good. Discussion about your game over other channels is good. But having your core game info in those channels is not good. Please use the submission portal!

27

3 Comments

A lot of people have written about the devastating closures of Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog. I don't want to repeat that stuff. It's a terrible situation. As a developer, it's heartbreaking. As a player, it's even worse. I just want to say something personal about Arkane Austin, and the kinds of games they make/made, and in particular, Harvey Smith, who heads up (headed up) the studio, after Raphael Colantonio moved on to new things. The first game I really fell in love with was Half-Life. HL showed me the way forward for games, particularly first-person ones, as an expression of deep and interesting -- often claustrophobic -- exploration, combat, and puzzle solving, excellent balance, and the power of first-person interactive narrative to create super immersive worlds for players. The second game I really fell in love with was Deus Ex (Ion Storm). DX showed me the way forward for extremely systems-centric experiences. The power of player choice, experimentation, and improvisation. The promise of a more mature, sophisticated narrative than you mostly found in games of the day. The joy of a game that was responsive and adapted to your choices as a player. The freedom to contrive your own solutions to problems. These games, together, rewired my brain. DX followed the work done before it by games like Thief (Looking Glass), System Shock (also Looking Glass), and later Arx Fatalis (Arkane's first game), but really locked in on the idea of the "immersive sim" that, later on, BioShock (made by ex-Looking Glass people) would replicate. Then Dishonored (Arkane). Then the 2017 Prey (also by Arkane Austin). Other games have riffed on the formula, even when taking it in different directions. There's some DX in Far Cry. There’s some DX in Fallout. There's some DX in Stalker. There's even some DX in The Long Dark. Player freedom. Experimentation. Thoughtful narratives. World dynamism and responsiveness. Affordance of player improvisation. These are core tenets of Immersive Sims that make all games better. They've never set the market on fire. But just like there are movies for movie-makers, these are games for game makers. These are games, we as developers who recognize the alchemy and miracle behind them, stare at in awe, wondering how the creators were able to harness this black magic. That's what we lost in Arkane Austin yesterday. Harvey Smith was the lead designer on DX, and his work has always inspired me. The team there was dedicated to making these sorts of complex, wonderful experiences that we need more of. These are important games, important ideas, important ideals, and it will once again fall to independent developers to keep them alive. So be it.

428

16 Comments

Such a sad situation for Arkane Studios Austin. No team deserves to be shutdown like this. I played a lot of Redfall and enjoyed it. This isn't all corporate greed and stock prices; we as fans have a role in this as well. I'm not saying that we shouldn't critique or call out unkept promises during development. Far too often when we criticize, we lose the human element behind these large projects. Those at Arkane, Bethesda Game Studios, タンゴゲームワークス（Tango Gameworks）, this is not your fault. This situation does not define you or your talents. Move forward when you are ready, and let's help you find your new home. We are stronger together! https://lnkd.in/gjyF6F6t - Unknown Worlds https://sds.com/careers - Striking Distance https://lnkd.in/gmjKux5M - KRAFTON and PUBG #myplesha #gamedevjobs #KRAFTON #gamesindustry #hiring

60

5 Comments

GFG 160 Days of Learning & Problem Solving streak 🔥Day#6/160 Challenge Tackled on Day 6: You are given an array of integer arr[] where each number represents a vote to a candidate. Return the candidates that have votes greater than one-third of the total votes, If there's not a majority vote, return an empty array. Note: The answer should be returned in an increasing format. #gfg160 #geekstreak2024 #geeksforgeeks #womenintech #codingjourney

14

After nearly 5 years of placing people in gamedev, here are 3 surprising things I've learned along the way: 1. It was always hard to be a junior Today there are 282 vs 1777 jobs on hitmarker in favor of Mids and Seniors. But even when money from investors was flowing in ungodly amounts, studios were more inclined to hire experienced people. My conspiracy theory is that junior people had it easier back then because regulars and seniors just weren't available for studios. Sometimes because salaries were inflated, sometimes they literally couldn't land the hire, because there were multiple offers on the table for candidates.  Instead of saying it's not a great time to be a junior, we should just admit it's not a great industry to be one. 2. Most people are playing less than I expected When I started I thought everyone here played games all. the. time. And I thought I was the odd one out with my heavily limited playtime. Turns out there are more people like me, who are just playing a couple of hours per week or sometimes not at all. There are of course the opposites who wish they played more (looking at you Michal Witkowski 😎) 3. You kinda need to be into games Even if your role has nothing to do specifically with production, having an interest in games or playing them in your own time it's ALWAYS a green flag. I knew it might be the case, but what was surprising is that it's true for literally every role in a studio. It's not like not playing them eliminates you from getting the accountant job. It doesn't (I hope). But the topic "What are you playing" somehow always finds its way and sneaks into the conversation. What are your surprise learnings?

36

12 Comments

Crunch is not "passion."  Pay to win is not "engagement."  Shiny trailers are not "success."  Success in gaming is:  - Designing experiences that players truly connect with. - Fair monetization that values your audience.   - Work environments that sustain creativity and well being.  In other words:  - A game that players talk about a decade later.   - Microtransactions that feel like a choice, not a necessity.   - A team that loves the work because they’re treated with care.  Gaming isn’t about grinding hours or glossy trailers. It’s about how you make people feel.  PS. What do you think? What’s one gaming experience you’ll never forget?

152

34 Comments

Hardspace: Shipbreaker is a great game where you disassemble space ships that get progressively more dangerous to dismantle. The gameplay is great, but the story is even better. Give it a try, seriously. Super great game. https://lnkd.in/gwNqqEsu

14

2 Comments

Most game pitches fail—but do you know why? 🤔 Brian Upton, an industry veteran with 20+ years of experience, shares the reasons in his talk at GDC 2015 "30 Things I Hate About Your Game Pitch." The presentation has more the 1.5 Million views on YouTube. 📈 Brian states that industry experts end up making these mistakes!😱 Want to make sure your pitch stands out for all the right reasons? Check out my presentation below, where I’ve summarized Brian’s invaluable insights into actionable tips. ⬇️ Watch the original talk here: https://shorturl.at/MIcYS #GameDesign #Gaming #GDC

5

Laws of game Dev (Proposed) #3: Making More != Greater Fun Far too many gate reviews I have been involved in end with someone saying "the experience is not there yet, but will be once we get more of X created,..." In my entire career that statement has never ended up being true. No shooter has ever finally got engaging once it had 16 weapons to fire. No racing game has suddenly become nail biting exciting only after there was 100's of cars to pick from and dozens of tracks. Patterns of fail: - Games not fun but the team believes that more choices / complexity will somehow create emergent fun. In reality it often just makes game harder to learn and more confusing to play. Sometimes having a mired of choices just leads to decision regret or just straight up annoys people on the conscientious side of the personality traits. - Games not fun but the team believes its because a core system must depend on something else. The designers will point at other games, pick out some other system and say they must go together like "Chocolate and Peanut butter". The other system is created, game is still not fun, team declares something else must still be missing. In reality each core pillar of the game must be engaging on its own. - Games not fun but the teams does not drop everything and fix it right away. Eventually they get so use to it that one day start believing the problem magically went away. Thus an entire game gets built on top of a broken system and by the time conflicting data is surfaced the team is to invested, they blindly ignore it. - "More" in the end solves nothing except the average time to complete game. Don't let teams create excuses, if a little bit of something is not a little bit fun. There is no way 40 hours of it is going to get any better... -Welcome any thoughts before this goes into the books.

15

8 Comments